Cravings

Have you ever had a craving? I don't mean a craving for coffee in the morning or chocolate in the afternoon. I mean a serious, hard core, get-out-of-my-way-or-I'll-crush-you type craving.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I wasn't just sick as a dog. I was sick as an old dog after eating a bowl of expired chili. I mean I was sick! I had just started a new job when I found out I was pregnant. Imagine what my new boss and co-workers thought when they couldn't find me in the office as I was curled around the toilet in the staff bathroom. Yep, good times. Good times.

After several weeks of not keeping anything down and multiple trips to the ER, my doctor decided to give me a home I.V. for three weeks. Over time, this helped and low and behold, one day I was actually hungry for something to eat. Not only was I hungry, I was ravenous. There was only one food that would satisfy. I needed pizza, stat.

I called Chris at the office. Fortunately, it was near the end of the day as I insisted he leave at once to get what my gut demanded. 'No problem', Chris thought. He knew exactly what kind of pizza I liked. He went to our favorite pizza place and decided, since I was so hungry, to order a large instead of our usual medium.

Bless his heart, he was trying to help but the large, as it turned out, was this bizarre rectangular deep-dish concoction. Friends, I know some of you are 'deep-dishers' but I am in the thin crust camp. I like a lighter-than-air, crispy crust. When he got home and showed me the freaky pizza I snapped. My craving took over and Chris swears my head spun around on my shoulders. As I went into a mad tirade my husband, very carefully, backed out of the door. (He was afraid to turn his back on me!)

I've been trying to live that down ever since but that craving was so strong. It overpowered me! Our desire for God is much the same. We are born with a God-shaped void in our lives that can only be filled with Him. He created us to crave Him and Him alone!

Here is the evidence:
As the deer pants for streams of water,so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? -Psalm 42:1-2

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. -Psalm 63:1

O taste and see that the Lord is good. -Psalm 34:8

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture said, streams of living water will flow from him.’ -John 7:37

Have you have ever tried (or currently still trying) to satisfy your soul's cravings with someone or something other than God? Money, status, physical appearance, career, relationships, food and dare I say it...shoes, are simply empty calories. You can stuff as many of these things into your life but you'll still be hungry.

The Father's heart breaks as He sees people spiritually starving to death. Their chasing after the world leaves them dehydrated and weak. How He longs to fill all who would have Him. To satisfy your deepest longing you need look no further than our Savior.

Jesus is what you desire. Jesus is what you crave. Whether you're a 'deep-disher' or a 'thin-cruster', Jesus and only Jesus will fill you up and give you peace.